Hartford Church of England High School, Northwich
Hartford Church of England High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Northwich. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 5 schools in Northwich with published results, and 1,025th of 3,298 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Cheshire West and Chester (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hartford Church of England High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Hartford Church of England High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.3 in Cheshire West and Chester and 47 across England.
60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cheshire West and Chester and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 50.3.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.15: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.7, against 53.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 21 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Hartford Church of England High School
For September 2026 entry, 237 families put Hartford Church of England High School as their first choice and 583 named it as one of their preferences, for 233 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Hartford Church of England High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Hartford Church of England High School are St Nicholas Catholic High School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); The County High School, Leftwich (1.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 50.1); Weaverham High School (1.9 miles, Attainment 8 53.5); and The Rudheath Senior Academy (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 32.2).
Hartford Church of England High School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Nicholas Catholic High SchoolThe County High School, LeftwichWeaverham High SchoolThe Rudheath Senior Academy
Where pupils go next
Of the 207 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Who goes there
4.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 119 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 31 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Greenbank Rail Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (bay 5), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hartford Church of England High School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hartford Church of England High School issued 239 suspensions, 22.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Hartford Church of England High School are Hartford Manor Primary School & Nursery (0.2 miles), St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Hartford Primary School (0.6 miles) and Winnington Park Community Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Hartford Manor Primary School & NurserySt Wilfrid's Catholic Primary SchoolHartford Primary SchoolWinnington Park Community Primary and Nursery School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Hartford Church of England High School is a voluntary aided Church of England secondary school on Neot Road in Hartford, Cheshire. It has been rated as 'Good' by Ofsted.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
17.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.15 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 51.4 to 49.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 60% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.7 | 59.5% |
| Disadvantaged(41) | - | 32.7 | 22% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(174) | - | 53.7 | 68.4% |
| Boys(112) | - | 46.8 | 53.6% |
| Girls(103) | - | 52.9 | 66% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(8) | - | 58.8 | 62.5% |
| Non mobile(206) | - | 51.1 | 62.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 207 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
8
Permanent exclusions
0.75%
Exclusion rate
239
Suspensions
22.34%
Suspension rate
87 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,070 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Hartford Church of England High School
Term dates
Hartford Church of England High School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cheshire West and Chester's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hartford Church of England High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hartford Church of England High School is in Cheshire West and Chester; for families living there:
Apply to Cheshire West and Chester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Hartford Church of England High School
Will you get a place at Hartford Church of England High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hartford Church of England High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hartford Church of England High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hartford Church of England High School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Hartford Church of England High School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hartford Church of England High School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cheshire West and Chester got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
1,072 pupils
1,200 places
128 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Northwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Northwich
Across Cheshire West and Chester council
Places available
4,194
Applications
3,482
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Cheshire West and Chester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
119
SEN Support
31
EHC Plans
13.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,102
Total Pupils
578
Boys
524
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
72
Teachers
15.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,837
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,662
Per pupil
£7580k
Total funding
£201k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.1%
Overall absence
21.7%
Persistent absence
1,121
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Hartford Church of England High School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Hartford Church of England High School
What are GCSE results like at Hartford Church of England High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Hartford Church of England High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.7. 60% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Hartford Church of England High School's Ofsted rating?
Hartford Church of England High School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for Hartford Church of England High School?
No fixed boundary. When Hartford Church of England High School is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hartford Church of England High School?
Hartford Church of England High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 1200 places.
How big are the classes at Hartford Church of England High School?
Classes at Hartford Church of England High School average 22.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hartford Church of England High School?
Hartford Church of England High School has around 1102 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hartford Church of England High School?
8.1% of sessions were missed at Hartford Church of England High School in 2024/25. 21.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hartford Church of England High School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Hartford Church of England High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Hartford Church of England High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hartford Church of England High School?
Hartford Church of England High School is at Hartford Campus Chester Road, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 1LH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)